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Fortunately the Barclays Premier League bandwagon cranks up the volume again this weekend, although the Hammers faithful have to wait until Monday for their team's match away to newly promoted Aston Villa. During the domestic break the media have, as normal, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, consequently there has been a proliferation of 'Declan Rice' stories.

The International break is always difficult for journalists who cover the domestic game, tittle tattle and rumours are all there is to go on, slim pickings indeed. The fact that England are in the opposite to the ‘group of death’ makes the situation of even less interest to the cognoscenti.

Some mischievous person must have been at the halftime refreshments over at the ITV broadcasting hub at Wembley for England's game against Bulgaria.

LSD in the tea can be the only explanation for the mass hallucinations experienced by Roy Keane and Ian Wright. Why else would they have both criticised Declan Rice's performance to the extent that they did?

Admittedly Rice had a quiet first half and a more active 2nd half, but he did exactly what he was supposed to do, a fact that is born out by his impressive match statistics.